Backend Engineer

Role Description

The Backend Engineer for NASA Mission Cloud supports the design, development, and operation of mission-critical cloud-based systems that enable data processing, analysis, and distribution for spaceflight and scientific missions. This role focuses on building resilient backend services, APIs, and data pipelines that operate in highly secure, scalable, and high-availability environments supporting real-time and near-real-time mission operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain backend services and APIs supporting mission applications in cloud environments
• Build and optimize data pipelines for ingesting, processing, and distributing large-scale telemetry and scientific datasets
• Collaborate with mission scientists, engineers, and DevOps teams to translate requirements into scalable backend solutions
• Deploy and manage services in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP) using infrastructure-as-code practices
• Ensure high availability, fault tolerance, and performance of backend systems supporting mission operations
• Implement secure coding practices aligned with federal and NASA security standards (e.g., NIST, FedRAMP)
• Integrate backend systems with distributed architectures, microservices, and containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and perform root cause analysis in production environments
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines to enable automated testing, deployment, and release management
• Support real-time and batch processing workflows for mission data systems
• Document system architecture, APIs, and operational procedures

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
• 3–7+ years of backend development experience in production environments
• Strong proficiency in backend programming languages (Python, Java, Go, or similar)
• Experience building RESTful APIs and microservices architectures
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Knowledge of distributed systems, data processing, and scalable architectures
• Experience with databases (SQL and/or NoSQL such as PostgreSQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB)
• Familiarity with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes)
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and version control systems (Git)
• Understanding of security best practices in cloud environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, or scientific research environments
• Familiarity with mission operations systems or telemetry data processing
• Knowledge of big data technologies (Spark, Kafka, Hadoop)
• Experience with serverless architectures (AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, etc.)
• Understanding of compliance frameworks such as FedRAMP or NIST 800-53
• Active or eligible for U.S. security clearance

Core Competencies

• Backend Development & API Design
• Cloud-Native Architecture
• Data Engineering & Processing
• DevSecOps & CI/CD
• Distributed Systems & Scalability
• Problem Solving & Debugging
• Collaboration with Scientific/Technical Teams
• Documentation & Communication

Benefits

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (STD/LTD)
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Sick Leave
• Comp/Flex Time